Staff report
Progress is well underway on the Superstar chairlift replacement project, Killington Resort reported in its May 22 Insider Blog post. “We have completed removal of the old chair, including removing the chairs, haul line and towers and completed demolition of the top and bottom lift terminals and operator enclosures,” the resort stated. “We then test drilled the new locations of all 11 towers and completed blasting in areas with ledge. The cages for the new footings have taken shape in the Vale Parking Lot and are nearly ready to be flown into place.”
Helicopters worked on Memorial Day weekend beginning this process.
Construction began quickly on the Superstar lift replacement after the lift spun for its final time on April 13.
The first order of business was to remove the old chairs using a telehandler or “lull.” Each of the 95 chairs was taken down and moved over to Pico, where they will gain a new lease on life on the Golden Express, the resort stated.
The next step was to remove the haul line. “This 20-ton piece of rope is metal with a plastic core, meaning it needs to be disassembled to be recycled and required a crane to be removed,” the resort added. “Once off the towers, it was cut into pieces and brought down the mountain, where a contractor will complete the process of separating the materials. Though most of the components of the old lift will find a new purpose at Killington, this is one item that is disposed of.”
“With the line down, the process of removing the sheave trains could begin,” the resort continued. “These components will be reused on the Snowshed Express, Summit Express and Golden Express, which are all from the same generation and manufacturer as the old Superstar chair. Crews stripped most of the primary electrical components from the lift shack, which will also be reused.”
All 12 current towers on Superstar will also be replaced. Some of the old towers will get a new life as terrain park features and culverts.
“With the old towers out of the way, we brought it in a drill track to start testing the areas where the new footings will be installed. This process involves drilling down to check for ledge — if it is found, blasting is required,” the resort said.
The new lift will have 11 towers, all of which will have new footings which need to be formed and poured. The beginning of the forms for those footings could be seen in the Vale lot, where the rebar was bent.
In the coming weeks, holes will be dug for new tower locations, then rebar dropped in and concrete poured, all with the help of helicopters. Once the footings are complete, the new towers will be brought in by helicopter and bolted down, likely all in one day, according to the resort.
Installation of the new towers was expected to be completed by the end of May.
“Since all the towers will be in new locations, we will not need to remove the old footings, just cut them below grade and bury them,” the resort noted.
Other major components of the project included running power from the top of Skyeship to the top of the new Superstar chair. That required digging a large trench to comply with safety codes, the resort noted.
The top and bottom shacks of the lift are also being rebuilt and the resort is replacing the snowmaking system on Superstar.
“The original Superstar snowmaking was one line, fed from the top, with the pipe getting smaller as it went downhill,” the resort stated. “All pipe will be replaced and the new system will include two separate sections. The bottom will be in a horseshoe configuration, allowing us to fire from both sides of the trail on Preston’s Pitch, one of the most challenging sections to cover.”
Throughout this construction, the resort had to consider its environmental impacts. It is Bicknell thrush nesting season, so the resort has to comply with state regulations, as the top of Superstar is ideal habitat for the birds. The resort used orange line around areas that it cannot touch to limit the disturbance and also laid down double matting when blasting to limit the amount of dust and rock that is released.
Other summer improvements
Elsewhere around the mountain, work has begun on the Northbrook barn, where the resort will store the new Skyeship Gondola cabins. The old building is currently being renovated. As for the cabins themselves, replacement is anticipated to begin in August, the resort stated.
In total, some 18,000 feet of new snowmaking pipe is being installed this summer, too. Locations include Superstar, from the Skyeship base up Valley Plunge, Beartrax and Wildfire. These replacements will increase systemwide efficiency as some of the pipe is undersized, and others simply worn out and leaky, the resort noted.
The replacement of the Magic Carpet on the Learn to Ski area of Snowshed is also underway. “We are repurposing Progression Carpet 2 on Ramshead, extending it slightly and reinstalling the covered carpet in this area,” the resort stated.
And over at Pico, a new Magic Carpet on Bonanza is underway.
“We are awaiting permits to begin dismantling the old double chair [on Bonanza] but are optimistic about completing that project this summer as well,” the resort noted.
The top of Superstar at Killington Resort is transforming as the old quad is removed so the new six-pack can be installed.
